Centrifugal machine.



No. 707,52I. Patented Aug. I9, |902.

H. DE BAASLUFF.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

(Application lad Nov. 1. 1901.)

(No Model.)

llniTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE( HARALD DE RAASLOFF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 707,521, dated August 19, 1902.

Application filed November 1, 1901. Serial No. 80,769. v(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARALD DE RAAsLoFF, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city of New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in centrifugal machines.

The invention is es peciallyintended for use in connection with my improved continuous process of centrifugal separation set forth in my United States Letters Patent No. 685,793, dated November 5, 1901, and in which process the solid or heavier matters are continuously separated from the liquid and lighter matters and formed into a mass, which I term the plug, which plug is continuously discharged from the separator at the same rate as that at which it is formed.

The purpose of the present invention is'to so control the discharge of the separated solid or heavier matters from the separator as to insure the regular and continuous removal of the same at substantially the same rate as they separate from the linid and lighter matters and without, on the one hand, permitting of sudden spurts of the uid or lighter matters from the orifices from which the solid or heavier matters are intended to be discharged (which spurts are extremely Wasteful of valuable material in many arts, as in the treatment of cyanid solutions of the precious metals) and without, on the other hand, permitting the separated solid or heavier matters to clog up the said oriiices.

For the satisfactory commercial working of centrifugal separation, particularly when applied to such materials as the slimes in cyanid processes, it is indispensable that the process be continuous and that the solid or heavier matters be removed from the separator as rapidly as they separate and Without the spurting out of the liquid or lighter matters which have not attained the desired degree of consistency along with the said solid or heavier matters. This continuous separation and removal by centrifugal separation is in practice a most difficult operation and I believe has for the first time been made thoroughly commercially practicable with my present invention.

In principle this invention consists of a valve or'gate at the outlet-nozzles of the separator, which is so constructed and arranged as to check the discharge of the solid orheavier materials which have separated from the iiuid or lighter material in the separator and accumulated at the nozzles until the said solid or heavier materials attain the desired consistency or drynessand to then permit the said solid or heavier material to escape from the nozzles, while at the same time preventing the lighter fluid and material which have not attained the desired consistency from escaping along With the said solid or heavier material.

Mechanically considered, my invention consists, essentially, of the combination, with the separator, of valves or gates at the orifices, from which the solid or heavier material which has been separated fromthe fluid or lighter material issues and which are so constructed and operated that at one instant the valve, together with the Walls of the orifice, forms a chamber which is in communication with the `separator to receive the separated material which has reached the desired degree of solidity or consistency, at another instant closes said chamber inwardly, and at still another instant opens it outwardly for the escape of said separated material, while still closing the said orifice against the escape of the said iuid or lighter material. At no time is there a direct communication from the interior of the separator outwardly through said discharge-orifices; but said orices are at all times closed by their respective valves at some point, so that the escape of the fluids or lighter materials is prevented, while at the same time the plug is formed and discharged as rapidly as the solid or heavier materials separate from the fluid or lighter materials. For the operation of the said valves or gates I prefer to use a device which has a speed different from that of the separater and which device, or at least that part thereof which is operatively connected with said valves, rotates around the axis of rotation of the separator. If said device, which in the accompanying drawings is represented as a beveled gear 39, revolve in the same direction and at the same rate as the separator, the valves will remain at rest; but by giving differential velocity to the said device as compared with the velocity of the separator the valves may be actuated at any desired IOO speed. As a small difference in the relative velocity of the separator and the said device is snfcient for the proper operation of the valves, I avoid all shocks which would be injurious to the valves and connected parts, whereas without my said differentialespeed device the shocks to the valves or other parts incidental to operating the valve when the separator is revolving at high velocity would destroy or disable the valves or their connected parts. The combination with the valves of a differential-speed device for operating them is an important part of my invention.

The accompanying drawings show the preferred form of the valves and differentialspeed device; but the invention may be applied in other ways and is not to be limited to the specific construction shown and described.

Referring to the said drawings to aid the description, Figure 1 is a broken side elevation, partly sectioned, of the upper part of a separator which is provided with the preferred form of the invention. Fig. 2 is a broken plan, partly sectioned, and showing the parts as they appear when looking down on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a broken front elevation of the separator and showing the parts as they appear when looking toward the left side of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic representation, on a small scale, of a separator equipped with the said device and showing the relative position of important parts.

The separator A is of any suitable design and preferably similar to that shown in my said Patent No. 685,793, containing a plurality of compartments 1 1, which are symmetrically arranged around and securely fastened to the hollowshaft 3. Said shaft 3 being stepped and supported in suitable blocksis rapidly revolved from any motor by belting or otherwise and is supplied at the top' with the mixed matters, as solids and liquids, which are to be separated from a pipe liquids or lighter materials, said pipes 6 being preferably arranged in the manner set forth in said Patent No. 685,793 and which discharge into the annular trough 8. Each said compartment 1 is also provided at its upper and outermost part with the nozzle 10 for the discharge of the separated heavier or solid matters or mud, For a certain distance the top and bottom walls of said nozzles 10 are curved on circular arcs, as at 12 13, to have a water-tight fit with the peripheral edges of the rotary partitions or gates 30 of the controlling-valve, and said curved part 13 is, in effect, a hood, 15 being a plate which is secured to the tops of the'compartments 1 1 and to theshaft 3. The side plates 16.17 of said nozzles 10 being extensions of the side plates of the compartments 1 1 are parallel and have water-tight fit with the adjacent side edges of said rotary partitions 30 and, together with said partitions 30, form spaces or chambers for the separated solid or heavier materials. The aforesaid curved parts 12 13 of said nozzles 10 and the spacing of said partitions 30 around their shaft 31 are respectively such that at all times the said nozzles 10 are each closed by at least one partition both above and below and usually are closed by two partitions below and more than two above, Fig. 1.l The shaft 31 of said partitions 30 passes through said sideplates 16 17, with suitable stuffing-boxes, and is provided at one end with the worm-wheel 32, with which meshes the worm 34 on the shaft 35, which turns in bearings 36 36, carried by said plate 15 and tops of the boxes 1 1. A beveled pinion 38, fixed on shaft 35, meshes with a beveled gear 39, which is fixed on a long hub 40, which has a frictional fit onhollow shaft 3, a collar 42 on said shaft 3 preventing said gear 39 from jumping up out of mesh with said pinion 38. Said hub 40 is provided with a brake-wheel 44 and strap-brake 45 of the usual description, by which variable friction may be applied to arrest the gear 39. The said gear 39 constitutes the preferred form of the differential-speed de vice or means for actuating the valves at the desired speed, its simplicity rendering it preferable to other equivalent means which might be used. Howf ever many compartments 1 may be employed, theywill be arranged symmetrically around said shaft 3 and preferably in even numbers.

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Each compartment will be provided with a ror tary valve, and each valve will be operated by a worm-wheel, shaft, and beveled pinion from the said gear. When no friction is applied by the strap-brake 45 to the wheel 44, the gear 39 will revolve at the same velocity as the shaft 3 and the separator as a whole, and in this case the valves Will not rotate; but when sufficient friction is applied by said brake 44 to said wheel 45 the gear 39 will revolve at a slower velocity than the separator asa whole, and the consequent differential velocity between the separator and the'gear 39 will rotate the valves and cause the partitions to move in the direction of the arrow at a speed depending on the differential velocity of the separator and said gear. By increasing the friction of said strap-brake 45 the velocity of the partitions 30 can be increased until the solid or heavier matters are removed from' the separator as rapidly as they are formed, and any Variation in the consistency of the mixed materials in the separator can be allowed for by varying the friction of the strap-brake. y

More in detail, the operation is as follows: Direct communication from the separator outwardly through said nozzles 10 is at all times closed by said partitions or gates 30, as clearly IIO shown in Fig. l. wWhen a valve is in the position shown in that figure, the c hamber a, which has been iilled with the separated solid or heavier matters which have attained the desired consistency or dryness, is closed both inwardly and outwardly, and another chamber l) is open inwardly to receive the heavier separated materials. Now as the valve, with its partitions or gates 30, revolves t-he chamber ct comes in line with the open outer end of said nozzle l0, and the solid or heavier material escapes from said chamber a, while the chamber b comes to the position formerly occupied by chamber a, wherein chamber b is closed both outwardly and inwardly to the interior of the separator, while a third chamber is now opened to the separator to receive its quota of material which has attained the desired consistency, and so in succession the motion of the valves causes a chamber to be put into communication with the interior of the separator to receive separated material which has reached the desired consistency, while said chamber is closed outwardly, and next closes said chamber both inwardly and outwardly, and next causes said chamber to be opened outwardly for the discharge of the separated material; but at all times the valves prevent direct communication outwardly from the separator, and therefore at no time can the liquid or lighter materials which have not reached the desired consistency spurt out of the nozzles. The motion of the valve also aids the centrifugal force to discharge the separated material and to prevent the clogging of the nozzles, since the valve pushes the contents of each chamber positively outward to the point of discharge.

Now, having described my improvements, I claim as my inventionl. In a centrifugal machine, the combination with a rotary separating-chamber provided with a discharge-outlet, of a continuously-operating rotary valve in the said discharge-outlet sealing the outlet and adapted to transfer separated material, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a centrifugal separator, of a nozzle for the discharge of separated material, a chambered rotary valve in said nozzle, and side and peripheral Walls of said nozzle which make water-tight iit with the valve, said peripheral walls being of greater extent than the opening of the chamber in the valve, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a centrifugal separator, of a nozzle for the discharge of separated material, a valve in said nozzle having a plurality of chambers for said material, side and peripheral walls of said nozzle which make water-tight t with said valve, and said peripheral walls being of greater area than the opening of any chamberof the valve, substantially as described.

4. In a centrifugal machine, the combina-l tion with a rotary separating-chamber provided with a discharge-outlet, of a continuously-operating rotary valve in said dischargeoutlet, and independently-rotating means for operating said valve, substantially as described.

5. In a centrifugal machine, the combination with a rotary separating-chamber provided with a discharge-outlet, of a continuously-operating rotary valve in said outlet, and independently differentially speeded means for operatingl said valve, substantially as described.

6. In a centrifugal machine, the combination with a plurality of rotary separatingchambers symmetrically disposed around the axis of rotation of the said chambers, and provided with discharge-outlets, of a continuously-operating rotary valve in each outlet, and independently differentially speeded means for operating said valves, substantially as described.

7. In a centrifugal machine, the combination with a rotary separating-chamber provided with a discharge-outlet, of a continuously-operating valve in said discharge-outlet sealing the same and adapted to transfer separated material, and an independently differentially speeded gear revolving around the center of rotation of said separating-chainber and operatively connected with said valve to rotate the same, substantially as described.

S. In a centrifugal machine, the combination with a rotary separating-chamber provided With a discharge-outlet, of a continuouslyoperating rotary valve in said discharge-outlet sealing the same and adapted to transfer separated material,independently speeded means rotating around the axis of rotation of said chamber for actuating said valve, and devices for varying the speed of said means, substantially as described.

9. In a centrifugal machine, the combination with a plurality of rotary separatingchambers symmetrically disposed around the axis of rotation of the chambers and provided with discharge-outlets, of a continuously-operating rotary valve in each outlet sealing said outlet and adapted to transfer separated material, independently-speeded means rotating around said axis for operating said valves, and devices for varying the speed of said means, substantially as described.

l0. The combination in a centrifugal separater, of a plurality of nozzles for the discharge of separated materials, a valve having a plurality of chambers for separated material in each nozzle, a gear adapted to rotate around the center of rotation of the separator, means to vary the velocity of said gear, a worm actuated by said gear, and a wormwheel on each valve meshing with said worm, substantially as described.

Signed at New York this 31st day of October, 1901. i

HARALD DE RAASLOFF. Witnesses:

BERNARD J. IsEoKE, DAVID WALTER BROWN.

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